1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for managing image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some mobile phones and smart phones of recent years include a normal camera (main camera) for shooting subjects visible to the photographer as well as a camera (sub camera) for shooting the photographer himself/herself and subjects on the photographer side of the camera.
Also, techniques for recording multiple image data pieces in one image file have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-206761 discloses processing for deleting a portion of sub image data pieces in a multi-image file that includes one main image data piece, multiple sub image data pieces, and position information pieces for the respective sub image data pieces.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-206761, after a portion of the sub image data pieces has been deleted from the multi-image file, the remaining data is moved to an empty area in order to suppress a reduction in the file usage efficiency, an increase in file size, and a reduction in access speed. However, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-206761, no consideration is given to associations between images and cases where moving images are included in the main image and sub images, and the user is not given an appropriate deletion instruction.
Also, if a main image and sub images are managed in association with each other, editing is made more user-friendly by performing processing in which, if a main image is deleted, the associated sub images are also deleted at the same time. However, it is conceivable for the user to not intend for the sub image to be deleted at the same time, yet the sub images are inadvertently deleted regardless of that fact. Also, individually deleting the sub images requires the same operation to be performed repeatedly, which is time-consuming.
Meanwhile, since the main image and the sub images are in a superior-subordinate relationship, individually editing (deleting) sub images does not negatively affect the main image, and user-friendliness is improved if it is possible to easily delete sub images.